Alert broadcaster thwarts ‘warrantless arrest’ attempts by soldiers
A former station manager of a Bukidnon radio station frustrated attempts by government soldiers to bring her to their military camp without a warrant.
Members of the 1st Special Forces Battalion of the Armed Forces of the Philippines harassed former Radyo Lumad station manager Kristin Lim since Saturday, August 3, and even engaged village leaders to convince her to give herself up, to no avail.
Soldiers on board a military truck arrived at Lim’s home in Damilag, Bukidnon at 8:30 Saturday night and “invited” her to their camp for “questioning.” They were led by a 1st Lieutenant Baquial.
Lim refused after Baquial failed to present a warrant of arrest or a “valid and clear reason,” the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines in Northern Mindanao Region (RMP-NMR) said in an alert.
The troopers, however, were back early Sunday morning, insisting that Lim surrender herself.
The RMP-NMR said the soldiers were using the same tactic they used in the so-called capture of civilians Gloria Jandayan and Gleceria Balangiao who were later presented by the battalion as fake New People’s Army surrenderees.
The soldiers later asked members of barangays council to help convince Lim to be “summoned” to the military camp because of “her knowledge of the Left.”
Lim still refused, the RMP-NMR reported, agreeing to a dialogue only in the presence of a legal counsel.
RMP-NMR added that Barangay chairperson Jun Torres eventually agreed with Lim and in turn told the soldiers that they can summon her at the village hall as long as her safety is assured.
Other members of the council and the homeowners’ association also demanded that soldiers stop visiting their village on board military trucks as “the soldiers make it look like they are pursuing a dangerous criminal or terrorist.”
Red-tagged
Lim was hired as Radyo Lumad station manager in July 2018 until its temporary closure in January this year “due to threats and harassments.”
Radyo Lumad was located in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, a community radio station focused on reporting on indigenous peoples’ rights and welfare.
The radio station was part of RMP-NMR’s Healing the Hurt Project with the European Union and the World Association for Christian Communication.
(Disclosure: Kodao Productions was hired as training partner of the Radyo Lumad Project.)
Lim said the radio station decided to temporarily close due to persistent threats and harassments against its staff.
Earlier this year, Lim was among those red-tagged in flyers distributed in Cagayan de Oro City along with lawyers, journalists, church workers, indigenous peoples’ leaders and activists. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
